Regional Sanitation Program Manager

About Us

Foremost Farms USA is one of the largest, leading dairy cooperatives in the United States and major dairy food and ingredients manufacturing business. We represent hundreds of Midwest dairy farmer members located in seven Midwest states, and we produce about 500 million pounds of cheese and 50 million pounds of butter in plants across our network every year. "We Bring Dairy to Life" in seven manufacturing plants across Wisconsin and Michigan and in our headquarters in Middleton (Madison), Wisconsin; and we’re looking for employees who are innovative and aim for excellence in our wide variety of production, field and business roles. Join us!

About This Opportunity

JOB TITLE: Regional Sanitation Program Manager
POSITION TYPE: Full time
CLASSIFICATION: Exempt Position
OVERVIEW: The Regional Sanitation Program Manager will ensure alignment across sanitation through cross functional collaboration to develop and implement policies and standards to ensure the highest levels of product safety, quality and regulatory compliance. This position will partner with key leaders across the organization to align sanitation with manufacturing excellence initiatives and business goals.

Key Accountabilities

• Design, implement, and verify sanitation strategies, best practices and process improvements.
• Provide guidance and assist in the development and maintenance of Sanitation programs (MSS, SSOPs, Sanitation Work Guides, ATP, standard work, etc.).
• Provide leadership and training for production personnel to complete and verify facility sanitation.
• Initiate and execute cleaning verification and validation programs to prove effectiveness of sanitation program.
• Manage and review the Environmental Monitoring Program.
• Support the manufacturing excellence initiatives by developing and monitoring sanitation non-negotiables.
• Streamline operations, enhancing regulatory compliance and driving continuous improvement through unified processes.
• Establish and maintain effective relationships with third-party sanitation providers serving as technical liaison between manufacturing sites, corporate teams and third-party sanitation providers.
• Develop and implement an adequate frequency for validating all sanitation systems in assigned manufacturing sites.
• Conduct ongoing evaluations of sanitation systems, perform risk assessments, and support plants in reducing gaps.
• Facilitate / assist in determining root cause of sanitation and microbiological challenges at all facilities.
• Conduct comprehensive site audits to identify current practices, assess gaps, and recommend improvements.
• Lead innovation, serving as our in-house expert on sanitation, chemistry, cutting edge equipment and advanced cleaning technologies.
• Develop processes for approval of new sanitation equipment and SSOPs.
• Evaluate new and existing equipment to meet regulatory and Foremost Farms’ sanitation requirements.
• Establish relevant sanitation KPIs and monitor progress toward goals.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure Foremost Farms’ preventative maintenance, downtime, special situation, hygienic design, etc. programs are effectively implemented.
• Develop standardized protocols for sanitation-related escalations and incidents to ensure consistent response across sites.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in biology, chemistry or other related field.
• Minimum of 5 years of sanitation experience within food manufacturing environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience directly leading projects from concept to completion.
• Experience working collaboratively among operations, supply chain and quality departments.
• Progressive, hands‑on experience in sanitation practices, ranging from routine cleaning to advanced sanitation and disinfection protocol.

Job Setting

Hybrid – corporate office, manufacturing sites, work from home with travel up to 75%

Benefits

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance – Flexible coverage with options to meet the needs of you and your family
• 401(k) Retirement Plan – 100% company match on up to 8% of your contributions
• Generous Paid Time Off – Start with 200 hours of PTO (pro-rated for first year)
• 10 Paid Holidays – Enjoy time to rest and recharge
• Paid Parental Leave –6 weeks fully paid
• Health Savings Account (HSA) – when you elect the high-deductible health plan
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) – Save for medical and dependent care expenses
• Life and Disability Insurance – Financial protection for you and your loved ones
• Daily Pay Option – Access your earnings when you need them
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) – Free, confidential support for life’s challenges
• Referral Program – Earn rewards for bringing great people to our team
• Career Growth Opportunities – Advance your skills and your career with us

Minority/Female/Veteran/Disability Encouraged to Apply

At Foremost Farms USA, we believe that employee diversity brings strength to our organization. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunity to all individuals regardless of their race, creed, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disabilities, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by state or federal law. Successful completion of pre-employment screening is required, which could include a drug test, background check, and other verifications or assessments to be sure you will be able to succeed in your position.